1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cables for a variety of applications (e.g., electrical, optical, fluid, gas, etc.), and particularly to cables having adaptive coverings that provide for self-healing when the cable is damaged.
2. Technical Background
Cable failures are a major concern in high-performance engineered systems such as cars, airplanes, boats, submarines, spacecraft, nuclear power plants, buildings, etc. For example, cabling problems on commercial and military aircraft have been implicated as the cause of accidents. Cable failures can occur for a number of reasons, such as the result of physical chafing, vibration, and wires in bundles rubbing against each other. These actions are examples of damaging forces that can cause a cable to become cracked and broken, and in the case of electrical wiring may cause shorts, sparks, incorrect signals, fire, and arcing, among many other possible electrical failures.
Even though cable failure poses a significant safety hazard in many different applications, cable inspection and repair remains difficult and expensive. Hidden cable damage is difficult to locate, and the cable inspection process itself can itself cause cable damage to the cable. Cable replacement is often quicker than diagnosis and repair.